Judges 15:4

Judges 15:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails.
• New International Version (NIV)So he went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them tail to tail in pairs. He then fastened a torch to every pair of tails,
• English Standard Version (ESV)So Samson went and caught 300 foxes and took torches. And he turned them tail to tail and put a torch between each pair of tails.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Samson went and caught three hundred foxes; and he took torches, turned the foxes tail to tail, and put a torch between each pair of tails.

Context of Judges 15:4

2And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her. 3And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them harm. And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took torches, and turned tail to tail, and put a torch in the midst between two tails. 5And when he had lighted the torches, he let them go into the standing grain of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing grain, with the vineyards and olives. 6Then the Philistines said, Who hath done this? And they answered, Samson, the son in law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife, and given her to his companion. And the Philistines came up, and burnt her and her father with fire.

Judges 15:4 word by word

וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ שִׁמְשׁ֔וֹן וַיִּלְכֹּ֖ד שְׁלֹשׁ־מֵא֣וֹת שׁוּעָלִ֑ים וַיִּקַּ֣ח לַפִּדִ֗ים וַיֶּ֤פֶן זָנָב֙ אֶל־זָנָ֔ב וַיָּ֨שֶׂם לַפִּ֥יד אֶחָ֛ד בֵּין־שְׁנֵ֥י הַזְּנָב֖וֹת בַּתָּֽוֶךְ׃Read the interlinear

• Samsonשִׁמְשׁוֹןshimshôn · SamsonH8123
• wentיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• caughtלָכַדlâkad · to captureH3920
• threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
• foxesשׁוּעָלshû‛âl shû‛âl · foxH7776
• tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• torchesלַפִּידlappîyd lappid · torchH3940
• turnedפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
• tailזָנָבzânâb · tailH2180
• putשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
• aאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147

Cross-references for Judges 15:4

• Judges 20:10And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch provisions for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.
• Ezekiel 13:9And my hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
• Ruth 2:15And when she had risen to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:
• Psalms 63:10They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.
• Lamentations 5:18Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.

Commentaries on Judges 15:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Went and caught three hundred foxes - There has been much controversy concerning the meaning of the term שועלים shualim, some supposing it to mean foxes or jackals, and others handfuls or sheaves of corn. Much of the force of the objections against the common version will be diminished by the following considerations: - Foxes, or jackals, are common and gregarious in that country. It is not hinted that Samson collected them alone; he might have employed…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Foxes - Rather, “jackals,” which are still very common in Palestine, especially about Joppa and Gaza. 1 Samuel 13:17 and Joshua 15:28; Joshua 19:3, are indications of the abundance of foxes or jackals giving names to places, especially in the country of the Phililstines. It belongs to Samson‘s character, and agrees with the incident about the lion, that he should be an expert hunter. Ovid relates a very curious custom at Rome of letting loose foxes with…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-5In revenge, Samson destroyed the grain harvest, vineyards, and olive groves.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-54-5. went and caught three hundred foxes--rather, "jackals"; an animal between a wolf and a fox, which, unlike our fox, a solitary creature, prowls in large packs or herds and abounds in the mountains of Palestine. The collection of so great a number would require both time and assistance. took firebrands--torches or matches which would burn slowly, retaining the fire, and blaze fiercely when blown by the wind. He put two jackals together, tail by tail…Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 15:4

• Arson
• Firebrand
• Fox
• Samson

In the dictionaries

• Samson
• Displeasure
• Fast
• Firebrand
• Fox
• Hip
• Visit
• Brand
• Israel, History of
• Judges, Book of

Commentaries on Judges 15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings